'''Stuttgart''' [http://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/index_ENG.htm] is the capital of [[Baden-Württemberg]], [[Germany]], with a population of approximately 600,000 in the immediate city and more than 2,5 million people in the metropolitan area.

'''Stuttgart''' [http://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/index_ENG.htm] is the capital of [[Baden-Württemberg]], [[Germany]], with a population of approximately 600,000 in the immediate city and more than 2,5 million people in the metropolitan area.

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==Understand==

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[[Image:StuttgartSchlossPlatz.jpg|thumb|300px|Schlossplatz]]

Stuttgart was founded in the 10th century; its name is a modern version of the original Stutengarten ("mare's garden"). Presently it is the 6th largest city in Germany. It is most famous for its automotive industry - both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have their headquarters in Stuttgart and both have car museums.

Stuttgart was founded in the 10th century; its name is a modern version of the original Stutengarten ("mare's garden"). Presently it is the 6th largest city in Germany. It is most famous for its automotive industry - both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have their headquarters in Stuttgart and both have car museums.

Line 55:

Line 59:

Travel tickets are usually purchased (and priced) to cover the number of zones for the journey. All day tickets / EinzelTagesTickets are a good value for visitors. Group day tickets/ GruppenTagesTickets are also a good value with 1-5 people able to travel using one ticket. Four-journey tickets / 4er-Tickets are also a good value. These can be used on different days or trips and have to be stamped - once at each end of the ticket and on both sides.

Travel tickets are usually purchased (and priced) to cover the number of zones for the journey. All day tickets / EinzelTagesTickets are a good value for visitors. Group day tickets/ GruppenTagesTickets are also a good value with 1-5 people able to travel using one ticket. Four-journey tickets / 4er-Tickets are also a good value. These can be used on different days or trips and have to be stamped - once at each end of the ticket and on both sides.

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Note that in the Stadtbahn and the buses stamping machines are available inside the cars, while on the S-Bahn they are located at the entrances of the stations and there is no possibility to stamp once you are in the train. (If you do forget to stamp your ticket in the S-Bahn, either get out at the next station, stamp and wait for the following train, or write the current time and location on the stamping field with a non-erasable pencil – this will also be accepted by the inspectors most of the time.)

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Note that in the Stadtbahn and the buses stamping machines are available inside the cars, while on the S-Bahn they are located at the entrances of the stations and there is no possibility to stamp once you are in the train. (If you do forget to stamp your ticket in the S-Bahn, either get out at the next station, stamp and wait for the following train, or write the current time and location on the stamping field with a non-erasable pen – this will also be accepted by the inspectors most of the time.)

Fare-dodging is severely frowned upon and plain-clothes inspectors are on constant patrol. Fines are steep, starting at EUR 40 per person for the first offense.

Fare-dodging is severely frowned upon and plain-clothes inspectors are on constant patrol. Fines are steep, starting at EUR 40 per person for the first offense.

There are seven S-Bahn lines (S1...S6,S60) and 12 Stadtbahn lines (U1...U9 + U13...U15) and several bus lines. Most lines will lead via Hauptbahnhof, ending in a layout that is pretty centralized: If you want to go somewhere, chances are, you have to ride via Hauptbahnhof. The following Stadtbahn or S-Bahn stations are located in the heart of the city: Hauptbahnhof, Schlossplatz, Charlottenplatz, Stadtmitte (Rotebühlplatz), Feuersee, Rathaus, Staatsgalerie, and Berliner Platz (Liederhalle). For a complete description see the official map of rail network[http://www.vvs.de/download/71.pdf].

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There are seven S-Bahn lines (S1...S6,S60) and 12 Stadtbahn lines (U1...U9 + U13...U15) and several bus lines. Most lines will lead via Hauptbahnhof, ending in a layout that is pretty centralized: If you want to go somewhere, chances are, you have to ride via Hauptbahnhof. The following Stadtbahn or S-Bahn stations are located in the heart of the city: Hauptbahnhof, Schlossplatz, Charlottenplatz, Stadtmitte (Rotebühlplatz), Feuersee, Rathaus, Staatsgalerie, and Berliner Platz (Liederhalle). For a complete description see the official map of rail network[https://en.vvs.de/maps/].

A specialty of public transportation is the rack-railway between Stuttgart-Marienplatz and Stuttgart-Degerloch. It is the only urban rack-railway in Germany!

A specialty of public transportation is the rack-railway between Stuttgart-Marienplatz and Stuttgart-Degerloch. It is the only urban rack-railway in Germany!

* State gallery: '''Staatsgalerie Stuttgart''', Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 30-32, [http://www.staatsgalerie-stuttgart.de]. There are two exhibitions in different buildings. "Alte Staatsgalerie" ("Old": Art from 1500 to 1900) and "Neue Staatsgalerie" ("New": Modern art) . You can walk inside from one exhibition to the other. The permanent exhibits are free on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

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* State gallery: '''Staatsgalerie Stuttgart''', Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 30-32, [http://www.staatsgalerie-stuttgart.de]. There are two exhibitions in different buildings. "Alte Staatsgalerie" ("Old": Art from 1500 to 1900) and "Neue Staatsgalerie" ("New": Modern art) . You can walk inside from one exhibition to the other. The permanent exhibits are free on Wednesdays.

* Musical instruments museum: '''Musikinstrumentenmuseum''' located near the Stiftskirche in the "Fruchtkasten" in the center of the city. See a unique selection of historical keyboards. Free entry! [http://www.landesmuseum-stuttgart.de/ausstellungen/schausammlungen/musikinstrumente/]

* Musical instruments museum: '''Musikinstrumentenmuseum''' located near the Stiftskirche in the "Fruchtkasten" in the center of the city. See a unique selection of historical keyboards. Free entry! [http://www.landesmuseum-stuttgart.de/ausstellungen/schausammlungen/musikinstrumente/]

* Natural History museum: '''Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart''', Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Two exhibitions, one features biology and evolution and the other features paleontology and archeology. [http://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/intl/englisch/stuttgart-state-museum-natural-history]

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* Natural History museum: '''Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart''', Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart. Two exhibitions, one features biology and evolution and the other features paleontology and archeology. [http://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/intl/englisch/stuttgart-state-museum-natural-history]

===Zoo===

===Zoo===

Line 312:

Line 316:

====Further clubs (access may be difficult)====

====Further clubs (access may be difficult)====

* Perkins Park

* Perkins Park

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* Zapata

* Proton

* Proton

* M1 Stuttgart

* M1 Stuttgart

Line 448:

Line 451:

* If you ask for tea (the drink) you'll probably get fruit tea. Ask for "schwarzen Tee" (black tea) for normal tea but have a backup plan as smaller cafes may not have any.

* If you ask for tea (the drink) you'll probably get fruit tea. Ask for "schwarzen Tee" (black tea) for normal tea but have a backup plan as smaller cafes may not have any.

* "Milch" (milk) for drinks is usually condensed/evaporated milk. Ask for "frische Milch" for normal milk.

* "Milch" (milk) for drinks is usually condensed/evaporated milk. Ask for "frische Milch" for normal milk.

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* Many fruit juices are packed with multi-vitamins, giving them a cloudy/opaque appearance and a somewhat silty texture.

* Grocery stores can often be found in the basement level of department stores.

* Grocery stores can often be found in the basement level of department stores.

Stuttgart was founded in the 10th century; its name is a modern version of the original Stutengarten ("mare's garden"). Presently it is the 6th largest city in Germany. It is most famous for its automotive industry - both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have their headquarters in Stuttgart and both have car museums.

Stuttgarters are amazingly friendly people who will forgive you if German isn't your first or second (or any) language. If you do speak German well: beware that many people speak the local Schwäbisch dialect natively which may somewhat affect their standard German - which however everyone can speak. They love to practice other languages (especially English) and will try to help you. Stuttgart is a big city with a small-town atmosphere.

Stuttgart has one airport [16], located in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. Various airlines including low cost airline TUI [17] serve direct flight connections between Stuttgart and major German and European cities. It will not be difficult to book a flight to Stuttgart from outside Europe connecting through a major hub such as London Heathrow or Paris Charles de Gaulles. Fares usually don't differ if you fly into Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg or Stuttgart. Lufthansa [18] has an agreement with Deutsche Bahn/German rail [19] and your commuter flight from Frankfurt could actually be a train ride. This is very convenient if you head for Stuttgart CBD.

Delta Air Lines has non-stop service from Atlanta to Stuttgart. American Airlines offers codeshare service from Frankfurt Airport on the ICE high-speed trains to the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (ZWS). These tickets are often cheaper than buying a flight soley to Frankfurt, despite having the additional segment.

You'll most likely want to go to the center of Stuttgart but are now standing somewhat outside at the airport in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. The best way is the Public Transport [20] which is clean, cheap and safe.

Public Transport

The S-Bahn line S2 or S3 will bring you to Stuttgart's center within 27 minutes (see Timetable from station 'Flughafen' to station 'Hauptbahnhof'). Tickets can be purchased at vending machines at the level below the airport and above the platform. Tickets should be validated at orange boxes on the platform before boarding the train.

The main station (Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof) is in the very center of Stuttgart.
Timetables for trains and booking are available on the webpages of Deutsche Bahn AG [21].
For getting on from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and around in the city of Stuttgart itself, see Public Transportation below.

The state highways A8 and A81 form a cross near Stuttgart ('Stuttgarter Kreuz'). The City is in the upper right quarter of that cross. West/east-Highway A8 passes Stuttgart slightly to the south, north/south-highway A81 passes slightly to the west. Generally, follow the sign "Stuttgart Zentrum" to get to the center of Stuttgart (and try to not lose yourself in a suburb district: there are smaller towns all over the place melted together to form Stuttgart.)

Smaller but important routes from the center of Stuttgart to the areas outside are the B10 (to the east: Esslingen, Göppingen), B14 (to the southwest: 'Stuttgarter Kreuz', Sindelfingen, Böblingen) and B27 (to the south: airport, Tübingen, Reutlingen, to the north: Ludwigsburg).

During rush hours, all streets in the region will be a mess! Avoid 07:30 to 9:30 o'clock and 16:30 to 18:30 o'clock.

Highway A8 between Stuttgart-Karlsruhe is always a potential traffic-jam during worktime.

Public transportation is provided by the Stadtbahn (U-bahn) and S-Bahn. For short distances, it is best to use the Stadtbahn (or bus if necessary). For longer distances (to get to the suburbs) the S-Bahn is faster but has fewer stations than the Stadtbahn.

Stuttgart's public transport is fully integrated and a travel ticket can be used on any mixture of buses and trains/trams that may be required to complete the journey.

From Sunday to Wednesday public transportation stops around 1 am in the morning. On the weekend the S-Bahn runs throughout the entire night hourly on all lines. So the inner city route from Hauptbahnhof to Schwabstraße is connected frequently. Additionally there are several night buses all starting at the Schlossplatz. On Thursdays there are night buses at 1:20, 2:30, 3:40. Be careful if you have a very early flight since there are no connections weekdays to the airport in the early morning between 1 am and 5 am.

If you are staying for more than a day, for added mobility buy a special 3 days ticket ("3-Tage-Ticket"). These are available from:

Hotels

The airport

The tourist information office at the end of Königstraße nearest Hauptbahnhof - but make sure you take proof that you're a tourist (eg. hotel booking confirmation).

There are two types of 3-day tickets available; one covers the main Stuttgart city and the other is valid for the entire VVS network, including Ludwigsburg.

The city transport network is separated in zones. The city of Stuttgart is only Zone 10 and 20. Normal tickets are available at the many automats in the stations.

Travel tickets are usually purchased (and priced) to cover the number of zones for the journey. All day tickets / EinzelTagesTickets are a good value for visitors. Group day tickets/ GruppenTagesTickets are also a good value with 1-5 people able to travel using one ticket. Four-journey tickets / 4er-Tickets are also a good value. These can be used on different days or trips and have to be stamped - once at each end of the ticket and on both sides.

Note that in the Stadtbahn and the buses stamping machines are available inside the cars, while on the S-Bahn they are located at the entrances of the stations and there is no possibility to stamp once you are in the train. (If you do forget to stamp your ticket in the S-Bahn, either get out at the next station, stamp and wait for the following train, or write the current time and location on the stamping field with a non-erasable pen – this will also be accepted by the inspectors most of the time.)

Fare-dodging is severely frowned upon and plain-clothes inspectors are on constant patrol. Fines are steep, starting at EUR 40 per person for the first offense.

Charlottenplatz metro station

There are seven S-Bahn lines (S1...S6,S60) and 12 Stadtbahn lines (U1...U9 + U13...U15) and several bus lines. Most lines will lead via Hauptbahnhof, ending in a layout that is pretty centralized: If you want to go somewhere, chances are, you have to ride via Hauptbahnhof. The following Stadtbahn or S-Bahn stations are located in the heart of the city: Hauptbahnhof, Schlossplatz, Charlottenplatz, Stadtmitte (Rotebühlplatz), Feuersee, Rathaus, Staatsgalerie, and Berliner Platz (Liederhalle). For a complete description see the official map of rail network[22].

A specialty of public transportation is the rack-railway between Stuttgart-Marienplatz and Stuttgart-Degerloch. It is the only urban rack-railway in Germany!

There is an old cable-car (look for Seilbahn) running from Stuttgart-Heslach to the cemetery. It is signposted.

Both rack-railway and cable-car do not require a special ticket, instead all normal tickets valid in Zone 10 (including day tickets) are valid.

Stuttgart's public transportation on the web - Homepage: [23] - English version: [24] – this is also a useful tool that gives prices and detailed information on how to reach every location, including foot paths to buildings.

Escalators in Germany are a two-lane affair. "Gehen" on the left (to walk with the escalator) and "Stehen" on the right (to stand still). Not all people respect this, but even those who do not will move out of the way if they hear you approaching energetically or if you say "Entschuldigung!". As a tourist, however, it is advisable to comply with this scheme.

The city lies in a basin of a hilly region the Stuttgarters call "Kessel", literally "cauldron", and between the lowest part of the city and the highest part of the city are 250 meter of altitude. There is a lot of car traffic, and routes for bikes are not well developed. Biking in the outlying areas of Stuttgart, e.g. in the Neckar Valley or the Schönbuch (just south of the city) is very nice. Stuttgart is one of the greenest urban areas in Europe. There are many paths through the surrounding forests which are in very good shape.

Also fun is "downhillbiking", you can carry your bike with the steep rackrailway from Marienplatz to Degerloch and drive down the hills. But be carful when walkers come across.

If you intend to drive by car inside Stuttgart, the only possibility to park are parking blocks at about 1,50 EUR per hour. Some parking blocks are closed during late night, providing no way of getting your car out. The street layout and numerous tunnels in Stuttgart can be confusing for tourists. Driving by car is not recommended.

Car drivers should know following ring and how to get there and off again, if trying to master an inner city ride.

Mercedes-Benz factory, Sindelfingen (S-bahn to Boblingen, then catch the courtesy bus). The heart of Mercedes-Benz manufacture, and well worth the visit. There are some 40,000 employees on site, including 9,000 in research & development alone!edit

State gallery: Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 30-32, [29]. There are two exhibitions in different buildings. "Alte Staatsgalerie" ("Old": Art from 1500 to 1900) and "Neue Staatsgalerie" ("New": Modern art) . You can walk inside from one exhibition to the other. The permanent exhibits are free on Wednesdays.

Natural History museum: Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart. Two exhibitions, one features biology and evolution and the other features paleontology and archeology. [36]

Definitely a must for families. But watching monkeys and weird flowers in this old place can be fun for young adults, too. (Unless you feel pity for the locked up creatures.) Wilhelma is also worth visiting for its architecture and landscaping features - the core of Wilhelma is housed in a 19th century palace/park landscape in the Moorish style, created for and named after the former king Wilhelm of Wuerttemberg.

A fascinating astronomical journey, projected by optical hightech equipment: Carl Zeiss Planetarium . Note that almost all the shows conducted here are in German. You may have to check with the office for English show timings.[38]

Stuttgart used to be an impressive town but was heavily damaged during World War II and only few buildings were rebuilt to classical elegance. The 50's still were post-war, in the 60's and 70's architectural things didn't matter at all and in the 80's and 90's with major insurance companies and banks building monuments of bad taste in the inner city, the aesthetic situation wasn't really improving.

Fernsehturm Stuttgart , TV Tower (1954-1956)[40], world's first TV tower built from reinforced concrete and prototype for all modern TV towers, with a beautiful view over Stuttgart. The Stadtbahn U15 to Ruhbank (Fernsehturm) gives you a wonderful view of the city. Entrance is €5 per person(€3 for students) and is worth it for the near-fairground quality of the ride in the lift to the top. There's a nice cafe at the top which serves fresh food and drinks.

Grabkapelle Württemberg (Burial chapel Württemberg)

Killesbergturm (Killesberg Tower). A recently built tower in the "Killesberg Park" (see also "green U" under Parks & Gardens), north of the city centre

Bismarckturm, a small tower northwest of the city centre, not far from Killesberg Tower

Hauptbahnhof The tower of the Hauptbahnhof is a free climb (to the Mercedes-Benz symbol at top), granting awesome views of Königstraße and the city. 10am-6pm.

Birkenkopf A debris mountain made of 15 million cubic meters of rubble from WWII as a memorial to everyone who died in the war. It is the highest point in Stuttgart.

Karlshöhe A hill that separates the western and southern city. Walk uphill 10 minutes southern from S-Bahn-Station "Feuersee" through a park (via Senefelder Str, right to Reinsburgstr, left to Jean-Améry-Weg). Have a outlook and enjoy the beer garden.

Weißenburgpark A hill opposite to the Karlshöhe. Easy approach: It is a short hop from Station "Bopser" (U5, U6, U7). Outlook and nice Jugendstil-restaurant and beer garden (closes at 11pm)

"Das Grüne U": Most of Stuttgart's many parks and gardens are usually referred to by locals as "das Grüne U" (the green "U") because of the U-shaped form in which they are located around the city centre. They form a long and beautiful path around the city, starting at the Schlossgarten at the northern facade of the new palace (Neues Schloss), continuing through Rosensteinpark with the natural history museum and a rear entrance to Wilhelma (the zoo), and ending in Killesberg Park. Walking at a reasonable pace, you can walk the entire circuit in about 2 hours. There are beer gardens (look for Biergarten signs) and restaurants along the way, and the Killesberg Park is a real treat. It was designed for a huge botanical expo several years ago and remains a truly stunning park, especially in spring when in full bloom. If you're interested in architecture, be sure not to miss the structural engineering wonder Killesberg Tower, a minimalistic steel construction composed of one central support and a cable outer support system.

A good entry spot in the web for theaters, culture and events is [44] (English).

Watch and listen to the ballet company [45] of the state theater Stuttgart Staatstheater [46]. (Stuttgart is quite fond of its ballet company dancing at very high skill. Definitely a top place to go to in the evening. You'll need to reserve tickets in advance.)

Classical concerts and serious music are covered by the Liederhalle [47]

A Musical Theatre (the Apollo-Theater) is placed in Möhringen in the SI-Zentrum [48]. (It has shown musicals like "Cats" and "Miss Saigon" and usually stages a new musical every year.)

Huge fun fair ("VOLKSFEST ") [50] on the Cannstatter Wasen, beertents and rollercoasters, late September-early October. (Families should go there during daytime: after 20:00 o'clock beware of tough public and drunken people.) Canstatter Wasen is the second largest fun fair in the world. Visiting it is more pleasant than the Oktoberfest in Munich, because tents are not so overcrowded like on the Oktoberfest. free entrance

Stuttgart Jazz Open [52], festival in mid July lasting about one week featuring American, European and other international performers at two downtown venues, one outdoor near the main train station and one indoor at a jazz club

Hamburg Fish Market - 10-day festival featuring seafood, beer, and vendors from the northern port city of Hamburg. The market fills Karlsplatz near the Schlossplatz in mid-July. free entrance

International Festival of Science Fiction, Horror and Thriller (Fantasy Filmfest, late July or early August: Festival for strange films, one week of Horror, Splatter, Asia, Suspense, Action and Animation.

You can listen to good house, drum'n'base, hiphop and other kinds of electronic music in Stuttgart. However it is not always easy to get into most discotheques. The discotheque N-Pir, which is in a very ugly building in Stuttgart-Feuerbach, has a very restrictive door policy!

Bands, Nightclubs and Events are covered by local magazines (generally not in English).

Handouts with a list of ongoing exhibitions should be delivered in local art galleries.

The web can deliver more info.

3. People

Take a day visit to the town Tübingen by train. (From Hauptbahnhof, main station, either take a train to Tübingen or take the S1 to Herrenberg, then change to the Ammertalbahn which goes directly to Tübingen main station. It's mediaeval center is very charming and worth the travel from Stuttgart. Apart from that, there's also a jazz cellar and various bars and cafés in Tübingen which are quite worth a visit. Special recommendations: Wurstküche ("sausage kitchen", kind of a restaurant), the Arsenal (a most lovely cinema) and after perhaps 10PM the Tangente Night.

A good place to go where everyone speaks English is Biddy Earlys, an Irish pub just west of the city centre/Königstraße, a five minutes walk from the major public transport station "Stadtmitte" (S-Bahn, Stadtbahn). Do a google search for directions and keep a sharp eye because the entry is a mere doorway wide which leads down the stairs to the basement. Good bands on the weekends. Two or three euro cover, four euros on weekends (plus a bag charge if you have a backpack). Everybody always welcome, and you don't have to apologize for your poor German here! They show Premier League Championship and other British football here, you can celebrate or commiserate with only a handful of other drinkers.

The most popular street for clubbing is the Theodor-Heuss-Straße. Over the past years several bars, clubs and lounges have opened here. It has become the most popular place for people to go out on the weekend. During the summer, there are also many opportunities to have a drink outside.

If you want to go to a place where you can meet locals, you can visit the Bonnie and Clyde. It`s near the Stadtbahn station Stöckach. The owners speak English well, so do most of the guests. Many students, so music is from rock to punk. No cover charge.

Another great bar is the Classic Rock Cafe, which is a few blocks away from Biddy Early's. Do a Google on it and you can find directions. No cover charge here even on weekends and the music is great! Interesting decor too, and everyone is welcome!

If you're into Indie music, you might want to check out the Zwölfzehn bar/discotheque in the Paulinenstraße, about 10 minutes west from "Stadtmitte". It is close to the next S-Bahn stop, "Feuersee". In that area, around Rotebühlstraße, you'll find some nice theatres and bars.

Go to "Hans-im-Glück-Brunnen" (between 3rd and 4th street southern from the western Königsstr.: Stadtbahn-station "Rotebühlplatz/Stadtmitte" or "Rathaus"): Many bars and Mainstream to Alternative Music. Mixed and broad-minded people (in contrast to some places at Theodor-Heuss-Str). Party especially on friday and saturday.

Two great Jazzclubs are located in the Hauptstätterstr (Stadtbahn-station "Rathaus"). The "Kiste" (means "box": indeed a tiny club) charges 5 EUR (added to the drink) for a concert daily, starting at 9 or 10pm. The "Bix," named after Bix Beiderbecke, offers local to top-class acts: entry from about 7 to 30 EUR, depending on the artist.

Another interesting fact about Germany is that prostitution is legal and there are many brothels located in the city. A conglomerate of brothels and hotels letting rooms by the hour are located in the "Bohnenviertel" (Bean Quarter) between Hauptstätter Str. and Olgastr. (Stadtbahn-station "Rathaus"). The girls charge at least 30 Euros for 20 min, depending on the service.

On the outskirts of Stuttgart, in Möhringen, there is a hotel/conference/entertainment complex called the SI Centrum. A lot of foreigners stay here. This complex includes a theater for Broadway shows, the Millennium hotel, and a spacious underground complex that houses many conference rooms, bars and restaurants. It's a very nice place to stay and although it's one of the best hotels in Stuttgart, it's not that expensive. Plus there's a Stadtbahn stop right behind the hotel so you can explore easily.

Schedule at least a daytime for such action (plus prepare some equipment like maps, drinking water, solid shoes, food, rain gear, warm clothing during cold seasons, etc.!) You may want to contact a local tourist office for guidance.

the Black Forest (Schwarzwald)

the Schwäbische Alb (hilly mattock landscape) covering natures highlights like the mystical colored "Blautopf" and stalactite caves like "Bärenhöhle". Could be a nice trip for families with children.

the Stuttgart wine trail [62]. The Obertürkheim - Uhlbach - Rotenberg - Untertürkheim trail includes a viniculture museum, the Grabkapelle Württemberg (Burial chapel Württemberg) and restaurants where you can try the local wine.

From Stuttgart you can take many nice day trips. Just an hour to an hour and a half south is the Swiss border and Zurich. On the way you can see the largest falls in Europe. An hour to the south is Triberg, a beautiful old village in the heart of the black forest which specializes in grandfather and cuckoo clocks. There is also a hiking trail which parallels a stream there. An hour to an hour and a half west from Stuttgart is Strasbourg, France. It is a small but beautiful city and possibly the most charming in France!

Some old university towns are also nearby, e.g. Tübingen (30 km/20 miles south), Heidelberg (ca. 80km/50 miles northwest) or Freiburg (120 km/80 miles southwest).

Swim: Stuttgart is fond of its mineral springs. The best one might be the Leuze Mineralbad [63] which also offers a sauna, but there are many others like Neckarbad or Cannstatt Mineral Bath [64], which is open until 21.30 weekdays and serves excellent food til late !

Several commercial Tennis- and Squash-Centers available

You can windsurf on areas of the Max-Eyth-See when there is enough wind. (But honestly, surfers should better head for either Atlantic, North Sea or Lago di Garda!)

Canoeing: you can go canoeing on one of the rivers in the greater area: Enz [65], Neckar, Nagold or a little bit further off the Donau [66] and Rhein - there are several good companies offering guided tours. You can check out http://www.viabono.de to find good and certified companies.

Stuttgart is full of mineral springs. Take some time out and enjoy The Leuze [67] or Mineral Bad Cannstatt. Both have also excellent sauna facilities. In the Leuze there is even no supplement for the sauna, so you get a premium sauna for only 13 € the whole day. And from Wednesday til Saturday (8.40 PM-10.40PM) there is nudist swimming in the cold swimming pool. You can swim naked in sparkling water which tingles on your skin.

If you want to get out into the countryside, the University of Hohenheim is worth a visit. Take U3 to the last stop Plieningen and follow the crowd of people getting off and head down Garbenstrasse about 800 m until you reach Schloss Hohenheim. The Schloss is open during the day and free to go inside. It is lovely and there are pamphlets in German and English describing the history of the palace. There are two very large and beautiful gardens (the Botanical and Exotic gardens) which begin at the corner of Garbenstrasse and Filderhauptstraße. At this intersection opposite to the garden is a restaurant called Wirtshaus Garbe [68], which serves Swabian food and has a lovely biergarten; it is very popular with the locals. Another restaurant is Speisemeisterei [69] located in the Schloss. The university has a few small museums of interest. The German Agricultural Museum is located at Garbenstr.9 and entry is 2 Euros. The Zoological and Veterinary Museum is located inside the Schloss, is open Sundays 10:00-16:00, and entry is free.

See the city's most famous sports team, the Fussball Bundesliga Club (premier league football club) VfB Stuttgart [70], in action. The club's home ground, the Mercedes-Benz-Arena, is in the Bad Cannstatt district, in the same neighborhood as the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Cannstatter Wasen, where the Volksfest (i.e. Stuttgart's "Oktoberfest") takes place in autumn (see above).

News about Sport in Stuttgart see Nachrichten Stuttgart Sport [71][72].

International ladies' tennis can be seen in September/October each year, with the WTA's Porsche Grand Prix event having transferred in 2006 from Filderstadt to central Stuttgart at - unsurprisingly - the Porsche Arena [73]. This prestigious Tier I event usually attracts all the top players, with large prize-money and a brand new Porsche car on offer to the winner !

Only concerts of classical music take place in the city centre's concert halls, especially Liederhalle [74]. Rock and pop concerts are usually held in the Schleyer Halle [75] or the newly (2006) opened Porsche Arena [76][77] or - rarely - inside the Daimler Stadium (see above). The mentioned halls/arenas are also in the Cannstatt district, close to the stadium and the Wasen.

You should travel to the stadium, the Benz museum and/or the Schleyer/Porsche Arena by Stadtbahn (subway) or S-Bahn (local train) and get off at the stop Mercedesstraße (Stadtbahn, long walk and you will probably have to ask for further directions) or "Neckarpark (Mercedes-Benz)" (S-Bahn). Finding parking spaces is very difficult, especially at football games and concerts and during the Volksfest.

The US enjoys an (almost) 24/7 retail environment. This is definitely not the case in Europe.

The banks close at lunchtime on weekdays, usually 13:00 - 14:00.

The banks close at 13:00 on Saturday and stay shut until Monday morning.

A surprisingly large number of stores and restaurants do not take credit cards other than MasterCard and Visa, and it may be difficult to find ATMs that accept other cards as well.

Shops are open until about 8PM Monday-Saturday.

Stuttgart city centre has practically no shops open on Sunday. The only shops you're likely to find open are the odd chemist (Apotheke) and a brezel shop or two. If you're leaving Germany on a Sunday and are putting off your souvenir-buying until the day you leave, you'll be getting all your presents from the airport.

By the same token, ensure you've got enough food, drink and toiletries to last you from Saturday until Monday.

The main shopping street in Stuttgart is the Königstraße which starts at the main railway station. Left and right of Königstraße are interesting shops, too, but Königstraße is a good startpoint for navigation in the inner city.

What may come as surprise to American visitors is that the price listed on German price tags is the price you pay - tax (MWST) is already included. Non-EU shoppers can buy Value Added Tax (VAT) forms (€3 each) and use each for 19% off the listed price! Since they cost money, this is only practical for items over €15,80.

The trade fair [85] and exhibition centre is located right next to the airport in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, south of Stuttgart. Public transportation is available via buses and the S-Bahn lines S2 and S3 (station Flughafen/Airport). From there it is just a short walk.

Stuttgart is known for the Brezel. (You'll find them at the small wooden cabins on Königstraße and at any baker's shop.) A Brezel tastes even better with some butter on it. A "Butterbrezel" costs about 1 Euro.

At the many Döner (Turkish food) stands. Take care to order "mit scharf" (Pul Biber - dried chili, hot) or "ohne scharf" (not hot...). For learners of German it's worth noting that both "mit scharf" and "ohne scharf" are incorrect German and would literally translate to either "with spicy" or "without spicy". Instead simply "scharf" (spicy) or "nicht scharf" (not spicy) should be used, but may then not be understood at the food stands.

Some Italian and Asian delivery services at varying quality.

Some small snack shops sell potato chips with ketchup and roasted sausage. They are sometimes located in white trailers.

Also on Steinstr. is Veggie Voodoo King, a vegetarian falafel shop with vegan options.

Only two or three fast food shops are opened during night. Kebap Nemo at Rotebühlplatz. Dilan Kebab (walk from Stadtmitte towards Wilhelmsplatz and take a left "Tagblattturm")

For opened during night: The "Gül Kebap" which is a Döner and has opened 24/7. You can find it near the "Rathaus" (City Hall) and even closer to the "Conrad".

If you have young children with you, try Wienerwald across from the train station. They have a play area with a small slide and their half chicken meal with salad and fries is enough food for an adult and small child to share.

In the Hauptbahnhof, you can eat at "Nordsee" (a chain of fast food seafood restaurant). There is an amazing variety of seafood dishes, sandwiches, sushi, etc. The price is very good and the presentation is colourful and appetizing!

If you enter restaurants of small hotels or guesthouses you'll most likely get the local Swabian food (and often bad support for vegetarians). Order some 'Spätzle' or 'Knödel' as a rich side dish there.

Stuttgart publishes a book annually entitled "Stuttgart geht aus" (Stuttgart goes out). This is available at iPunkt next to the Hauptbahnhoff on Königstrasse. This book, published in German, is a great guide to restaurants in the city. The small biergartens typically have great food, and they're all listed in this book! (The German is low-level and a pocket dictionary will be all you'll need if you don't speak German)

There are good and bad restaurants of any color in town: German, Italian, French, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, African, American among others.

In the morning, locals definitely want to get some fresh bread (and brezels and broetchen [bread rolls/buns]) from the baker's shop and serve them with butter, cheese, ham, honey, jam and eggs from the fridge.

Many locals and visitors will enjoy breakfast at the bakery itself, in the "Stehcafe" - literally, "standing cafe". These are usually a corner of the shop with tall tables which you stand at rather than sit at.

Orange juice together with coffee or tea or hot chocolate will fit nicely.

The breakfast in hotels will also look more or less that way.

You can also order this breakfast setup in some or the other cafe or pub, but you'd have to know the good places at first, if you don't want to end up with a poor dish.

There are 2 Starbucks Coffee Shops along Königstraße (a 3rd to open soon on the high-end district on Calwer Straße). But don't look for low-fat muffin or cream cheese options.

Youth hostel, Haussmannstraße 27, ☎ +49 711 24 15 83. (10 min walk from main station, [94], or take the U15 to Eugensplatz (Jugendherberge)). €25 Euro/adult and €5 for internet + €6 for breakfast, €3 for a Youth Hostel card. They will charge you for shampoo (€1.50) and towel (cleaning fee €1.50) separately.

Ibis Budget, Siemmensstrasse 28, (next to Maybachstraße U-Bahn and a few minutes walk from Pragsattel). Free WiFi in the rooms and foyer however the login webpage is very bad and sometimes the "Gratis WLAN" link doesn't display. During the week a room for 1 person is €49 with a €10 surcharge for a second person and €39 at the weekend. The rooms have a double bed and a single bed in them.

The main telecommunications provider in Germany is Deutsche Telekom which trades under the names of T-Home (for landline phones), T-Online (for Internet connections) and T-Mobile for mobile communications. Anything relating to these companies are easily identified by the bright pink "T" logo. There are often shops in German towns called "T-Punkt" (Literally T-Point) where you can buy cell phones and get other information.

Local phone lines are either usable for analog-modems or for ISDN. An up-to-date list of call-by-call providers can be found at heise.de [96].

Hugendubel (walking from Hauptbahnhof to Schlossplatz, it's about halfway in between, on the left side) has free wifi for customers in their cafe on the 3rd floor.

Commercial WLAN-Hotspots are available at the airport and few other places.

Do be aware though, that a lot of WLAN-Hotspots are operated by T-Mobile (Germany's main telecommunications provider) and they can be quite expensive and some only give you German instructions! The Germans do tend you help you out with this.

Some hotels provide WLAN-Hotspots. Ask in advance.

If you find a private WLAN with an email-address as its network name, it's most likely an invitation to contact its friendly operator via email.

For connections to nearer cities in the area which may be worth a visit (e.g. Esslingen, Ludwigsburg with their historic centres), you may also try the "S-Bahn" commuter trains which will take you there and back at least every half an hour. See Public transportation above for more information and timetable links. Other nearby cities that may be of interest include Tübingen and Reutlingen.